On March 1, 2024, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Romania released the film "Who are the Adventists?".
The 93-minute film is a presentation resource on Romanian Adventism and places the Adventist Church within the history of Christianity, exploring the major contributions Adventists have made to the country in health and education networks, as well as social assistance.
Globally, Adventists represent 3% of the Christian population and are part of the Protestant rite family (36%), along with Orthodox Christians (12%) and Catholics (50%). Worldwide, the Adventist population is approximately 35 million members and affiliates, and the denomination holds world records in health, education, and communication.
The film "Who are the Adventists" contains interviews with the opinion of Romanians on the street, but also of personalities like Ciprian Olinici, state secretary of Religious Affairs; Ioan Aurel Pop, the president of the Romanian Academy; Emil Constantinescu, the former president of Romania; and representatives of various religious institutions.
In the documentary, there are images from more than 30 places of worship selected from all regions of the country. The narrator guide is Ioan Paicu, editor of Radio Vocea Speranței and elder of a local church. The soundtrack also includes adaptations made for 26 hymns from the parishioners' songbook.
Among the more than a thousand believers who appear in the film, two families with four to six successive generations of Adventists stand out; they reflect the social evolution of the denomination on Romanian soil.
The essential areas in which Adventist spirituality is manifested, present as important sections in the video material, are the Adventist contributions to health, Adventist education, charity, and evangelical impact.
"Who are Adventists" also shows two of the most important Adventist teachings, from a confessional perspective: why they celebrate Saturday as the seventh day and what they believe about the imminent return of Jesus Christ to earth. Their understanding of the future is illustrated in the last part of the film by highlighting the role played by Protestants in the (Timisoran) Revolution of December 1989, but also the way religion decisively influences political and social crises.
The film answers the question of whether Adventists are really Christians and why, of all Christians, Adventists have the most in common with both Muslims and Jews. Thus, emphasizing the role Adventists believe they will play in the final events before Christ's return to earth.
The "Who are the Adventists" film is a production of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Romania.
The original article was published on the Inter-European Division website.